'Be prepared' is most famous as the motto of the Scouts, but it's a maxim that is equally as embraced by ballet dancers.

A dancer's ballet bag is an essential bit of kit that they take with them wherever they go – in rehearsals, during breaks and in their dressing rooms; it's always to hand. But what do they contain? We asked two Royal Ballet dancers – Marianela Nuñez and Yasmine Naghdi – what their ballet bag essentials are:

Marianela Nuñez

Pointe shoes: 'Perhaps the most obvious thing to feature in a ballet bag, but I have two new pairs and two worn ones. As well as stage rehearsals, I use pointes for centre work in class. We have to sew our own pointe shoes and I can get through three pairs per performance.'

Flat shoes: 'These are the first pair I put on each day, in preparation for barre work in morning class.'

My 'toe bag': 'It's a funny name, but this little bag has all the things I need to take care of my feet. I see a chiropodist once a month as I'm susceptible to corns, which can be very painful. The bag contains corn and callous removal liquid as well as scissors and protective tape.'

A massage ball and foot roller: 'Both of these are used to release tight and uncomfortable muscles. The massage ball looks like a cricket ball. I bought it from a pet shop!'

A small cosmetics bag: 'This has all the essentials – a hair brush, Vaseline, a nail file and hair grips.'

A small box of resin: 'We put this on our shoes to help with grip.'

Spare ballet skirts: 'I carry different colours and styles of clothing to wear when rehearsing different ballets – some ballets require freer movement than others.'

Socks: ‘Spare pairs of socks are essential when you’re on your feet all day.’

iPhone with plenty of music downloaded: 'Though we're listening to music all day through rehearsals and performances, you'll always see dancers during breaks with their earphones in. Every dancer has their own playlist of favourite songs to help them relax.'

Yasmine Naghdi

Shoes: 'One new pair of pointe shoes and three older pairs to wear during rehearsals, one pair of flats for barre or any role I am rehearsing in flat shoes. I also carry a pair of socks as I often wear them during barre exercises to really engage my feet.'

Legwarmers and spare clothing: 'Essential for keeping muscles warm and avoiding injury. I also have one long skirt, one short skirt, three pairs of shorts (depending which ballet I'm working on) and a spare leotard.'

Foot protection: 'A bag containing things I need to protect my feet whilst in pointe shoes such as toe pads, toe dividers, plasters, tape, animal wool and water spray to soften down the hard vamp [the lower forward part of the shoe's upper] on new pointe shoes.'

L'Occitane Almond Lighter Legs: 'I use it daily straight after rehearsals and when I'm preparing for an evening performance. It's really effective in relieving tired legs.'

A small sewing bag: 'This is filled with threaded needles, different colours of thread and scissors in case the ribbons or elastics of my pointe shoes come loose.'

Snacks and refreshment: 'I always have a bottle of water, energizing, nutritious snacks and a bag of mixed nuts and dried fruits to sustain my energy. I usually eat them before or after our lunch break.'

One of the daily challenges faced by the Royal Opera House’s make-up artists is the need to conceal visible tattoos sported by singers, dancers and actors appearing onstage. Opera team leader Mathias Nacke and technician Cecilia Öberg shared some of their secrets.

'There are two products that we use, depending on what the artist is going to be doing onstage. Dermacolor is like a very thick foundation, and is sometimes used medically, to camouflage discoloration, birthmarks or scarring. It’s expensive – a professional palette costs around £90 – but you can blend it to match any skin tone. It works well for performers who are not going to be moving too much onstage or getting close to other people – otherwise it can transfer onto costumes or rub off on other performers. It can be removed with an oil-based cleanser.

'For artists who are going to be moving a lot on stage, such as dancers, we need to use a waterproof product. Skin Illustrator is alcohol-based, and once it’s dry it’s sweat proof and won’t rub off without an alcohol-based cleanser. It’s even more expensive than Dermacolor – about £120 a palette – and is definitely a product that should only be used by professional make-up artists.'

This feature was adapted from a piece originally featured in About the House magazine, received quarterly by the Friends of Covent Garden.

In partnership with The Royal Ballet, Berkeley Square Cosmetics have developed a range of new high performance body products designed to ease the results of day to day stress on skin and muscles.

The range was launched this month with Royal Ballet dancer Olivia Cowley unveiled as the face of the new range. Olivia has danced with The Royal Ballet since 2003 when she graduated from The Royal Ballet School.

The range currently features four products - a body conditioner, intensive hand and foot cream, cooling muscle gel and soothing bath and shower cream.